The implementation of the Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment in the Baltic Sea Region is supervised by the Helsinki Commission (HELCOM). Nordic cooperation on the response to oil and chemical discharges is agreed upon in the Copenhagen Agreement. The Nordic countries have also agreed on cooperation to prevent oil pollution in the Arctic region with Canada, Russia and the United States. In addition, Finland has bilateral agreements on oil spill response cooperation with Russia and Estonia.
The International Convention on Oil Pollution Preparedness, Response and Co-operation (OPRC) has been concluded under the auspices of the International Maritime Organization. The parties to the Convention have also adopted a Protocol to the OPRC relating response to damage from hazardous and noxious substances (OPRC-HNS Protocol). The European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) complements EU countries' response resources with equipment for joint use as well as with leased response vessels.
The list below includes the most important agreements affecting Finland’s preparedness and operating models:
- International Convention on Oil Pollution Preparedness, Response and Cooperation, 1990 (IMO/OPRC) 1990 (SopS 32/1995, Finlex)
- Protocol under the aforementioned Convention: Protocol on Preparedness, Response and Co-ordination to Pollution Incidents by Hazardous and Noxious Substances (IMO/OPRC-HNS) (Act SopS 64/2015 and Decree and text of the Convention SopS 65/2015, Finlex)
- Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment in the Baltic Sea Region (Helsinki Convention), 1992 (Decree and original text of the Convention in 2000 SopS 2/2000, Convention and appendices updated in July 2014)
- Agreement between Denmark, Finland, Island, Norway and Sweden concerning Cooperation in taking Measures against Pollution of the Sea by Oil or Other Harmful Substances (Copenhagen Agreement) (Act SopS 71/1998, Decree SopS 72/1998, Finlex)
- Agreement on Cooperation on Marine Oil Pollution Preparedness and Response in the Arctic (Government Decree SopS 15/2016))
- Agreement on Oil Spill Response between Finland and Estonia, 1993 (SopS 31/1995, Finlex)
- Agreement on Oil Spill Response between Finland and Russia, 1989 (SopS 54/1990, Finlex)
- Other agreements under the auspices of the International Maritime Organization:
- International Convention Relating to Intervention on the High Seas in Cases of Oil Pollution Casualties (IMO/intervention), 1969 (SopS 62/1976, SopS 63/1976, Finlex)
- Protocol under the aforementioned Convention: 1973 Protocol relating to Intervention on the High Seas in Cases of Marine Pollution by Substances other than Oil (IMO/1973) (Act SopS 72/1986 and Convention SopS 74/1986,Finlex)